No. 6 Penn State women’s volleyball began its first road trip of the season with a sweep over Iowa State Friday night at Hilton Coliseum.

Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord recorded a match-high 12 kills en route to leading the Nittany Lions past the Cyclones 25-22, 25-16, 25-15.

How It Happened

Russ Rose sent out his typical seven-player lineup Friday evening, which included Jonni Parker, Tori Gorrell, Gabby Blossom, Serena Gray, Allyson Cathey, Kaitlyn Hord, and Kendall White.

The Nittany Lions got off to a rough start in the first set, as the Cyclones jumped out a 9-3 lead early on. Penn State eventually responded with a 5-0 scoring run that pulled them even with Iowa State at 20 apiece. An attack error off of a Jonni Parker serve sealed the first set for the Nittany Lions, and they never looked back.

Parker continued to build upon an already-strong season Friday, totaling 10 kills, five digs, and a service ace. Fellow sophomore Serena Gray also flashed her offensive prowess with nine kills and two blocks.

Gabby Blossom dished out 32 assists, seven digs, two blocks, and a serving ace in her fifth career start. The sophomore setter has quickly and comfortably taken on the full-time starting role with the team this season and has certainly impressed so far.

Despite a strong attack from Hord and Parker, Allyson Cathey struggled throughout the match. The outside hitter recorded six kills on 21 total attacks on a dismal .048 hitting clip. Her five attack errors led the team.

Standout libero Kendall White led the team on defense with a season-high 13 digs, while fellow defensive specialists Jenna Hampton and Macall Peed chipped in three and four, respectively.

Player of the Match

Kaitlyn Hord | Middle Blocker

The Lexington, Kentucky native tallied a match-high 12 kills on .647 hitting. Hord also recorded two blocks in the team’s fourth-straight victory.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (4-0) will return to Hilton Coliseum tomorrow afternoon for the team’s second match of the Cyclone Invitational. Penn State will face LSU at 3:00 p.m. ET.